A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, I knew what I wanted but I struggled to get it down on paper.
Chapter 12: Pinned
The new guests were silhouetted against the darkness. They slowly stepped into the room their presence hindering.
There were nine Hunters looking at them. Each one had most of their faces covered, leaving only their eyes exposed. The Hunters were a secret society, their identities were a closely guarded secret. It was ironic that they were originally set up to protect the very first Grand High Vampire in those dark, chaotic times when the vampire kind first emerged.
They were garbed in the darkest grey, it was the traditional colour of the Hunters, they stood out compared to the rest of their black clothed kind. There wasn't an ounce of leather on them, they didn't wear the leather armour, they didn't fear death. If they turned to dust then they accepted it as their time to die.
Vlad didn't take his eyes off the Hunters. "Dad, get Robin and Wolfie out of here."
"But…"
"Now Dad." Vlad repeated. Ingrid would never leave Bertrand to fight alone and Erin wouldn't leave him. Robin wasn't skilled enough to fight them.
"Vlad…" Robin protested but he saw Erin's expression, Vlad didn't face him but he understood why. Erin nodded, it was too dangerous. Robin gave a sigh, before nodding as well. He wouldn't win this one.
The Count was good at running and hiding. The Count nodded to his son, grabbed Wolfie and Vlad, looked upwards and vanished into the night. It took the people who could fight on their side down by one but Wolfie would be more of a distraction than an advantage and Robin would be at a disadvantage. Bertrand had spent many and hour training the rest of them. Erin in particular to act as Vlad's sparring partner and make sure that Vlad continued to train.
The Hunters made no move to stop him, after all their prize was right in front of them. The Count meant nothing on their hit list. Their main threats were in this room: Bertrand because he knew more about strategy than any one else, Ingrid because she was Vlad's number two, Erin because she was to become Queen and Vlad for obvious reasons.
Jonno and Mina were a bonus being the heads of the Slayers Guild.
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Vlad made no effort to try and order them to go, they wouldn't' listen to him after he'd tried to disband them. Only he had, sorry he used to have the power to disband them.
They looked at him curiously as if waiting for him to beg for his or his family's life. Vlad wasn't naïve anymore, he knew it wouldn't work, especially not with these vampires.
Vlad looked at them, "Olga sent you." It wasn't a question it was a statement. They didn't answer and Vlad knew it was true. They wouldn't answer anything they were asked unless it was necessary (ignoring their previous announcement of their presence), speaking could lead them to detection. He should have been privy to who was a member of the Hunters as Grand High Vampire but that information had conveniently been 'lost'.
When Vlad didn't speak any more, they decided to say something, "We serve the Grand High Vampire."
Vlad gave a snort of irony, they served anyone who paid. "I'm the Grand High Vampire." Vlad told them fiercely.
"We never recognised you, we never will." There was the truth, they weren't going to listen because he tried to disband them. Vlad wondered if they were part of the crowd of vampires that had enjoyed watching his power being taken from him.
He was 'honoured' that they'd even said three sentences to him in total. They obviously believed they'd wipe out the Draculas. Vlad squeezed Erin's fingers tightly.
The lead Hunter fixed him with a penetrating glare, Vlad felt like a deer caught in the headlights. He'd almost say he was being hypnotised but Vlad was too powerful for any hypnotism to take effect. "It's time for the end of the Draculas."
The Hunters advanced on them and Vlad hoped that they would be the first…
The first ones who came out unscathed from a confrontation with the Hunters.
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Ingrid was shoved into he panelling, she let out a hiss as her hip jolted painfully against it. It would be sore but there was nothing damaged.
A snort of laughter came from the Hunter. Ingrid's eyes burned with a fury she hadn't had since Will's death, she wasn't going to be laughed at.
Ingrid tried to kick out but failed, instead her ankle was grabbed from behind and she was spun one hundred and eight degrees in the air, landing on the floor with a thump. Her back slamming against the panelling. The Hunter went to punch Ingrid in the face but Ingrid darted out of the way and a fist went through Vlad's panelling, Vlad wouldn't be impressed but it was a small sacrifice compared to the devices around the school in other places.
Ingrid kicked her leg upwards landing a blow in the vampire's groin. There were no grunts but there was a chance they'd been taught to tolerate the pain of a blow.
Ingrid shot up, her ankle throbbed from where it had been twisted but she knew it wasn't broken.
She was just getting ready to land another blow when the Hunter extended his or her arm and something was thrown to them. They caught it and twirled it in their grip the ways she'd seen Bertrand and Vlad do many times. That showed the level of their training. Ingrid didn't have chance to see what it was.
The Hunter lashed out with something heavy and long, it hit Ingrid around the head. It was long and thin, that's just about what she could make out before she lost complete consciousness. She couldn't even call out in warning to the others.
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Erin was lunged for but she narrowly dodged the attack. She had a feeling that her opponent was only testing the waters to see what she could do.
In that moment Erin made the risky decision of waiting for her opponent to attack her. She didn't want them to gain more information about her than necessary.
Her opponent made no move, trying to lull her into a false sense of security but Erin wasn't going to have any of it. She waited, eventually her opponent gave up.
The Hunter flew forwards, Erin didn't have chance to duck and the arm hit her across the jaw. She winced as she felt the pain flare through it. She refused to let it distract her and she launched a counter attack trying to grab her opponent but they were too fast for her. Another blow landed in the middle of her back and she let out a fierce hiss. Erin twisted her arm behind her back and grabbed her opponent's arm in a vice like grip. Her opponent was obviously startled by the way they didn't try to pull from her grip.
With all her strength she yanked the arm forward and twisted. There was a snapping sound and a grunt from behind her. She knew she'd broken the arm, she didn't enjoy it but she knew she had no other choice but to.
The Hunter yanked their arm back and she let go without warning forcing them to stumble backwards fiercely.
Erin smirked slightly before scolding herself at letting her emotions show. Bertrand had cautioned her often enough about that. Showing emotions could get you killed in battle.
Erin didn't hesitate then, while she watched her opponent cradle their arm like a small child she punched them in the face wincing as her hand felt like it was hitting concrete. She tried to ignore the sensation of her knuckles shifting slightly.
Her hair clung to her forehead from the exertion of her movements.
Then Erin saw something Vlad didn't. She froze, calling out to him, "VLAD!"
The distraction cost her precious moments and the next thing Erin saw was the floor, her stomach pressed to it and her head at an angle she could only watch Vlad's fight.
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The Hunter aimed blows at Vlad, two landed but Vlad managed to deflect the rest. His speed was greater than the Hunter's, no matter how much the Hunter had been trained Vlad's speed was natural and he could go faster if necessary. However he wasn't going to become overconfident in his powers.
Their forearms shuddered against each other, minor shockwaves rippling through the room as they fought.
Vlad sped up his blows to land on in the chest of the vampire, pushing him backwards and across the room. He wiped his brow feeling the sweat there and his hair clinging to his forehead.
The vampire sped back in front of him but Vlad was ready he jumped as the vampire ducked thinking he was going to land a blow to his face, the vampire was trying to kick his legs out from underneath him. The vampire was surprised by Vlad's anticipation of his actions, Vlad was skilled at looking at the eyes. The next move was always in the eyes not the hands or the feet.
Vlad jumped down, landing directly on the Hunter's legs. The Hunter cried out as he felt one of the bones give. Vlad hated the sensation but he had no other choice, it stirred memories of breaking Erin's collarbone accidentally. The vampire tried to roll away and failing but he managed to knock Vlad down this time. Vlad hadn't managed to recover his stance from before, all it took was the briefest of knocks and he fell backwards.
He rolled at the Hunter tried to kick him in the face. He wasn't going to be that easy of a target.
The Hunter tried to sit up again but Vlad kicked the one Hunter to the ground, his extra strength providing the advantage he needed to win this battle.
The Hunter grunted, Vlad knew he had no choice. He began to form a fireball in his hand, this vampire had to be killed. It was either him or the Hunter. They wouldn't' stop until the Draculas were dead, even if Vlad left him alive he knew the vampire would commit suicide. Being left alive by the enemy was considered dishonourable amongst the Hunters.
"Vlad!" He heard the scream; he spun turning to see the glinting of the jagged tip of an argentalium spear hurtling towards him. The fireball dissipating in his hand.
He didn't have chance to move before it hit him.
The jagged tip of the spear tore through the flesh and muscle of Vlad's shoulder; the force with which it was thrown forcing him backwards and pinning him back against the panelling. He let out a cry as the blade passed straight through his shoulder, embedding itself fully into the panelling. Along the handle were spikes so it couldn't be pulled out without causing more pain – if it would come out that is.
The argentalium wouldn't move, no matter how hard he tugged on it. This wasn't a usual argentalium spear. The traditional models had a long wooden handle and an argentalium tip. This spear was completely argentalium, any strength he used on it as being absorbed immediately.
It didn't stop him from frantically trying. The Hunters laughed at Vlad's attempts to free himself, Vlad was rarely caught like this. The thought made him burn in anger.
Erin was pinned to the floor, she'd been subdued when she'd yelled out to Vlad, she'd become distracted when she'd seen the spear hurtling towards him
Ingrid was completely unconscious and Bertrand was being held by two Hunters, every now and again his eyes flickered towards Ingrid the only sign of his concern for his partner. Jonno and Mina were held in a vice like grip, their assailants' fangs too close for comfort.
The Hunter lifted up a small, silver rectangular device; it had a small button and a small screen with a number of glowing icons. He waved it in front of Vlad. He had to be stupid not to know what it was.
It was the detonator to the devices. Once it was activated it would set every single device off at the exact same time.
He was helpless.
Helpless to save himself.
Helpless to save those he loved.
TBC
A/N: Please let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading.